1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instruction file execution device and method and to a job flow system and more particularly, where various devices are connected to one another by a network, relates to an instruction file execution device, instruction file execution method and job flow system for linking services provided by the various devices and applying processing to document data.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide technologies relating to distributed processing systems, in which programs and services (functions) distributed over a network are linked and processing sequences are executed. When input/output functions and programs which are operated on various devices connected to a network are to be combined for linked processing corresponding to usage processes of individual users, the network linking apparatus propagates linked processing data between the various linked devices in accordance with a processing sequence.
Specifically, in office environments and the like, there is a distributed processing-type document processing network system in which a scanner, a facsimile device, a photocopier, a multifunction device which incorporates these functions, personal computers, a mail server and suchlike are connected to one another by a network and services provided by these various devices are linked for processing document data. This document processing network system performs linked processing by sequentially propagating linking information, which includes linking relationships between various services, input/output information and the like, between the devices that provide the services. Such linking information is referred to as a job flow service.
Heretofore, there have been structures which charge for individual jobs. However, there have not been structures which charge for individual job flow services.
Now, if application of a conventional structure for charging for individual jobs to a structure for charging for job flow services is attempted without modification, when respective jobs are executed at different devices, it is necessary to charge at each device. Thus, for example, in a case in which coin kits are installed at the respective devices which process a job flow service and charging is implemented by the coin kits, a user would have to insert money at each device before launching the job flow. Thus, there has been a problem in that operations are made extremely inconvenient for users.